Axle assembly having a wheel mount disposed on a planet carrier

Abstract

An axle assembly having a wheel mount that is disposed on a planet carrier of a planetary gear set. The wheel mount may be fixedly positioned with respect to the planet carrier with one or more fasteners and one or more dowels so that the wheel mount and planet carrier may rotate together about an axis.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An axle assembly comprising:
 an axle housing; 
 a wheel bearing cage fixedly positioned with respect to the axle housing; 
 a planetary gear set that is received in the wheel bearing cage, the planetary gear set having a planet carrier that rotates about an axis; 
 a wheel mount that is disposed on the planet carrier and configured to facilitate mounting of a wheel; 
 a dowel that is received in the wheel mount and the planet carrier; and 
 a fastener that couples the wheel mount to the planet carrier. 
 
     
     
       2. The axle assembly of  claim 1  wherein the wheel mount has a tubular portion that is disposed around the axis and that has a wheel mount hole that is centered about the axis, and a flange portion that extends from an end of the tubular portion to facilitate mounting of the wheel, wherein the planet carrier is disposed adjacent to the tubular portion but does not extend into the wheel mount hole. 
     
     
       3. The axle assembly of  claim 1  wherein the fastener does not extend along the axis. 
     
     
       4. The axle assembly of  claim 3  wherein the fastener and the dowel extend substantially parallel to the axis. 
     
     
       5. The axle assembly of  claim 4  wherein the fastener is disposed between the dowel and the axis. 
     
     
       6. The axle assembly of  claim 5  wherein the fastener does not engage the dowel. 
     
     
       7. The axle assembly of  claim 4  wherein the dowel is received in a dowel opening in the wheel mount that is a blind hole. 
     
     
       8. The axle assembly of  claim 4  wherein the dowel is received in a dowel opening in the planet carrier. 
     
     
       9. The axle assembly of  claim 4  wherein the dowel has an internal dowel hole and the fastener extends through the internal dowel hole. 
     
     
       10. The axle assembly of  claim 9  wherein the dowel extends along a dowel axis and the fastener extends along a fastener axis that is disposed substantially parallel to the dowel axis. 
     
     
       11. The axle assembly of  claim 10  wherein the dowel axis is coaxially disposed with the fastener axis. 
     
     
       12. The axle assembly of  claim 10  wherein the dowel has a dowel flange that is disposed at a first end of the dowel, wherein the dowel flange extends continuously around the dowel axis and extends away from the dowel axis. 
     
     
       13. The axle assembly of  claim 12  wherein the dowel flange is received in a dowel opening in the planet carrier such that the dowel flange inhibits movement of the dowel toward the wheel mount. 
     
     
       14. The axle assembly of  claim 13  wherein the dowel has a second end disposed opposite the first end, wherein the second end is received in a dowel opening in the wheel mount. 
     
     
       15. The axle assembly of  claim 12  wherein the fastener has a head that is disposed on the dowel flange of the dowel outside of the internal dowel hole and between the dowel flange and a planet pinion that is rotatably disposed on the planet carrier. 
     
     
       16. An axle assembly comprising:
 an axle housing; 
 a wheel bearing cage fixedly positioned with respect to the axle housing; 
 a planetary gear set that is received in the wheel bearing cage, the planetary gear set having a planet carrier that rotates about an axis; 
 a wheel mount that is disposed on the planet carrier and configured to facilitate mounting of a wheel; 
 a preload bolt that extends along the axis and couples the wheel mount to the planet carrier; and 
 a set of dowels that are arranged around the preload bolt, wherein each member of the set of dowels is received in the wheel mount and the planet carrier. 
 
     
     
       17. The axle assembly of  claim 16  wherein the wheel mount has a flange portion that facilitates mounting of the wheel and a tubular portion extends from the flange portion toward the planet carrier, the tubular portion having a wheel mount hole that extends along the axis, wherein the preload bolt extends completely through the wheel mount hole. 
     
     
       18. The axle assembly of  claim 17  wherein the planet carrier is disposed adjacent to the tubular portion but does not extend into the wheel mount hole. 
     
     
       19. The axle assembly of  claim 16  further comprising a first roller bearing assembly and a second roller bearing assembly that are disposed on the wheel bearing cage and rotatably support the wheel mount, wherein the set of dowels extend substantially parallel to the axis and are radially positioned with respect to the axis between the preload bolt and the second roller bearing assembly. 
     
     
       20. The axle assembly of  claim 19  wherein the first roller bearing assembly has a first inner race that engages the wheel mount, the second roller bearing assembly has a second inner race that engages the wheel mount, and a bearing spacer extends from the first inner race to the second inner race.